Profoto
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources
Swedish company designing studio flashes and lights.
Until Profoto traces its cobalt, gold and tin to the mine, it can't show that the miners who dig them are safe or fairly paid.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It relies on high-risk mined materials it can't trace. That alone means a poor grade until it takes steps to trace them.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsSome of its products are made in Thailand, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: Traces its cobalt, gold and other conflict minerals to the mine
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, partly in countries with poor worker rights
- Red flag: Relies on high-risk mined materials it can't trace
- Red flag: Fails its category's raw-material check (means Lacks transparency)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Profoto says which countries it makes its products in, but doesn't name the factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| Slovakia | Strong protections | Not rated | Moderate |
| Thailand | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: cobalt, tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold mining carry child and forced labour risk (DR Congo, Indonesia), and assembly overtime is widespread.
- Relies on metals such as cobalt, gold and tin from artisanal mines where miners, including children, face toxic dust, mercury exposure and deadly tunnel collapses. It hasn't shown any steps to trace these materials to the mine, so it's graded Lacks transparency until it does.
Research notes Profoto designs its lights in Stockholm but outsources all production. Its 2025 annual report names four priority contract manufacturers, two in Poland, one in Thailand and one in Slovakia, plus about 70 suppliers overall; it gives no split of output by country. All suppliers must sign a supplier code of conduct based on the UN Global Compact (83% of manufacturing suppliers had signed in 2025) and four suppliers had a production and code of conduct audit in 2025. It publishes no supplier list, audit results, living wage commitment or conflict minerals report.
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- Profoto at Ted's Cameras · search the archive · Profoto flashes and accessories sold by Ted's Cameras, which has stores across Australia
Published by Profoto or its owner
- Profoto 2025 Annual and Sustainability Report · search the archive · Production outsourced; four priority contract manufacturers: Poland (2), Thailand (1), Slovakia (1); supplier code signed by 83%; four audits in 2025
- Sustainability (Profoto investors) · search the archive · Profoto applies a supplier code of conduct and anti-bribery policy as part of transparent supplier management
- Code of conduct (Profoto investors) · search the archive · Profoto's code of conduct and supplier code of conduct
Company details
- Headquarters
- Sweden
- Employees
- About 110
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Profoto ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/profoto, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Other TV and audio brands
Nothing we've rated in TV and audio is better than Lacks transparency yet.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Profoto.